Vote buying would be eliminated if the National Assembly swiftly passes the National Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal Bill, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The bill, intended to create the legal framework for investigating and prosecuting electoral offenses for the overall betterment of the election process in Nigeria, passed second reading in the House of Representatives on June 30, InsightnaijaTV reports.
A similar law with seven parts and 48 clauses that sought to relieve INEC of the “burden” of punishing election offenders was passed by the Senate in July 2021.
Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos State, told NAN on Sunday that if the bill were to pass, it would guarantee that electoral criminals would be tried quickly.
He asserted that there would be more sanity in the general elections of 2023 if electoral violators, such as vote purchasers and voter sellers, were promptly apprehended and brought to justice.
Agbaje, however, asserted that all Nigerian stakeholders must fight tooth and nail to put an end to vote buying in all its manifestations.
“There are so many issues to this matter. The judicial aspect is there, security agencies are there. INEC cannot monitor all these offenders.
“There is no way we can be conducting elections and at the same time, watching people that are buying the conscience of voters with money, food or other things.
“That is why the commission has been asking the national assembly regularly to finish its work on the electoral offences commission and tribunal bill to become law.
“When we have this, it will be just like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, to monitor and investigate the menace of vote buying and other offences.
“It will be like security agency for INEC. Their job will be purposely for this and they will be all out on election day.
“The vote buyers and sellers are giving INEC a bad name, however, it is not the duty of INEC to monitor this,” he said.
Agbaje advised that all stakeholders should engage politicians on vote buying ahead of the 2023 general elections, and talk to them as actors sponsoring and encouraging this menace.
The REC decried the delay in prosecuting electoral offences in Nigeria, describing it as frustrating.
“When we see this kind of thing, we get frustrated. The judiciary also has to do something. What is the court waiting for in some of these electoral offences?
“In fact, in Kenya and other countries , within two hours, an electoral case will be judged.
“If people are jailed for electoral offences, I am sure by 2023, everybody will be careful; but because there is no punishment, people just feel they can do anything.
“So, it is not just between INEC and political parties, judiciary also has a role to play. They must assist us to ensure that whatever case is brought is promptly judged to serve as deterrent ,” the INEC boss said.
He claims that when a straightforward matter that can be decided in two weeks is delayed for three years without any action being taken, individuals assume that if they repeat the mistake, nothing bad would happen to them and that their godfathers will likewise protect them.
In order to combat vote buying and selling, he continued, the security, judiciary, INEC, national parliament, political parties, NGOs, and other key players all had duties to play.
Agbaje stated that it is still illegal for any voter to display their ballot for public viewing after casting a ballot, adding that if the agency in question exists, it is their responsibility to assign officers to keep an eye on everything.
The head of INEC stated that the organization would monitor and look into every unauthorized transfer of funds to thousands of voters, even before elections.
He claims that INEC will work harder to position polling places so that voters cannot show their ballots to vote purchasers after casting their ballots in order to receive payment for choosing a particular party.
However, he made note that INEC would consult with members of the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) about how to combat the threat during the general elections in 2023.
Agbaje, however, urged Nigerians and politicians to change their orientation about elections, saying in countries like Republic of Ireland, elections were not monitored by policemen or party agents at the polling booths on election day.
He said that with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the 2023 elections will be better and more credible, adding that votes would count in Lagos.
